Coking retort oven



July31,192s. 1,678,802 J. BECKER connue xm'ron'r bvs Filed llar 921 Shorts-Sheet. 3.

\ mmmmmm Patented' July 31 192s.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE.

JOSEPH BECKER, OF PITTSBURGH, PNNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE KOPLPERS COM-4 y PANY, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

coKrNG RETORT OVEN.

Application mea March 14, 1921. seria1.N0.452,238.

This invention comprehends improvements of general utility in the coking retort oven art; and also comprehends certain improvements especially applicable to coking retort ovens of the Wellnown cross-regenerative type, examplified in the patent to H. Koppers, No. 818,033, dated April 17, 1906.

The invention has for objects the provision of a coking retortloven provided with 'a double series of flues in its heating walls, vand having, as important characteristics: A flue construction that permits a considerable reduction not only in the length but also inthe cross-sectional dimensions of the horizontal or bus flues located at the top of the vertical llame flues, and connecting a plurality of the latter with each other; and, as a feature that may be secured by the above structural improvements, a novel system of control of the flow through the double series of flame flues of the heating walls, permitting fflow in the same; direction through all the flame iues of both series of each heating wall, with the result that` all the flame flues of each heating wall are either simultaneously burning or simultaneously operating as outflow flues for carrying away the waste gases to outflow operatin regenerators.

ith regard to the novel flue construction, for example, a pair of horizontal ues for each series of flame fluesin each heating wall may be substituted for the usual single horizontal flue which extends from end to end of the heating wall. With the separate horizontal flues, each member of each pair need communicate with only approximately half the total number of flues of each series, and consequently the dimensions of each flue may be considerably decreased because ofthe consequent reduction in the volume of flow which must be maintainedtlrough the horizontal flues. The above stated reduction in size of the horizontal/lines is an important advantage, for the reason that it enables a considerable thickening and strengthening of the walls ofthe oven structure *in the region of the horizontal tlues. Moreover, "the" improved flue construction permits an increase in the height of the flame flus, with a corresponding increase in the heightv of the coking tion products, without making it necessary to enlarget he horizontal Hue dimensions to sizes lnconslstent with adequate stren th of Y the wall construction in the region o' such flues. The flue construction of the invention is furthermore of great importance in oyen batteries fired with extraneously derived gas, such as producer gas, since the employment of such as results in an increased volume of com ustion products yand consequently flue spaces must be provided tolcollect and feed to the operating downflow iues this increased volume of combustion products. By the invention, the flue construction may be adequa ely accommodated to such increased volume -vof combustion products, without introducing elements of Weakness in the wall structure.

In addition to the objects recited above, the invention comprehends a novel regenerator construction, a system of flow therethrough and through the lues, promoting uniformity of distribution, and has for other objects such other improvements or advantages in construction and operation as are found to obtain in the structures and devices hereinafter described or claimed.

ln the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification and showing, for purposes of exemplication, a preferred form and manner in which the invention may be embodied and practised, but without limiting the claimed invention to such illustrative instance or instances:

Figure 1 is a crosswise vertical section through a coke oven battery embodying features above specified and equipped with the improvements of the present invention, the view being taken longitudinally through a coking chamber and a pair of regenerators, in planes indicated by the line A--A of Fig. 2;

' Figure 2 is a composite vertical sectional elevation taken longitudinally of a coke oven battery, in planes indicated by the lines D-D, E-E and G-G of Fig. 3; y v

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken transversely through the 'coke oven battery and f loq l drawings, the invention is incorporated in c a combination coke oven battery, i. e., a battery having provision for being operated either with producer gas asfuel or with the coke oven gas that is derived from the distillation of the coal in the coking chambers of the battery. For convenience, the pres-v ent description will be confined to the present illustrated embodiment, of the invention in such a combination coke oven battery;Y

the novel features and improvements, made by the invention, are susceptible of other applications, such,-for example, as in ordinaryv yso-called coke ovens employing coke oven gas as fuel, or ordinary so-called gas ovens employing producer gas as fuel; hence, the

`scope of the invention is not confined to the specific use and specific embodiment herein described as an illustrative example.

Referring to the drawings, there are illustrated views of aV coke oven battery or .plant of the by-product type, having features above specified; said battery embodies in its construction a plurality of crosswise elongated heating walls 11, 11, and a plurality of intermediate crosswise elongated vertical cokino chambers 12, 12. The heating walls 11 form the side walls of the respective coking chambers 12, as shown more particularly in Fig. 2, and, in the present instance, are directly supported by the heavy supporting or pillar walls 13, 13, which extend crosswise of the battery and are located, as shown in Fig. 2, in pairs beneath the respective heating walls 11, 11. These pillar walls, together with other walls hereinafter described, collectively form the main support for the entire superstructure f the oven battery, andare themselves supported upon a flat mat or platform which constitutes the subfoundation on which the entire battery rests.

The coal to be coked is charged into the several colring chambers or ovens through charging holes 14 located in the top 15 of the oven battery and positioned directly above the ovens or chambers 12', as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. AThese charging holes 14 are equi ped with the usual removable covers, w ich are removed during charging of the individual. ovens or coking chambers and are placed ,in position to close the tops of such coking chambers during the entire coking or distilling operation. The gases of distillation pass from the tops of the several the heating walls 11. which, as before'mentioned, extend crosswise of the battery at the sides of the `coking chambers. Referring now more particularly to Figs. 2, 3 and 4,

each heating wall 11 is constituted of two parallel series, G and H, of fiame or combustion flues 17. Eacl'rv series of such flame flues extends from end to end of the heating wall and, in accordance with the invention, all ofthe flues of both series of a heating wall operate concurrently for flow in the same direction, while, at the same time, all

of the fiues of both series of an adjacent heating wall are operated concurrently for flow in the opposite direction. That is to, say, the flame' flues ofteach heating wall are, although in two series," operatively disposed in a single group. When the flame flues on one side of a coking chamber are burning, or operating for upflow, the fiame flues on the opposite side ofthe same coking chamber are operating for downflow to permit exhaust of the waste gases. Consequently, heating is' maintained continuously from end to end on one side of a charge of coal in each coking chamber, the heat being applied to the full length of one side of such charge during an entire period, and then, after reversal, being applied to the full length of the opposite side of the charge until. a subsequent reversal is effected.

The crosswise regenerators 18 of the retort oven or battery are located lbelow the aforesaid heating walls 11 and cokingchambers 12, and, in the present instance, extend in parallelism between the pillar walls 13 andthe other heavy supporting walls hereinafter described. Located in the lengthwisemiddle plane of the coke oven battery is a vertical partition 19,:'as shown in Fig. 1, which partititon lextends all the way up from the mat of the battery to'thebottom of the overlying coking chamber,and from one to the other of the pillar walls 13 and the other wallscwhich are between some of the pillan walls The regenerators, which are respectively located on opposite sides of the battery, extend inwardly to said partition 19 and are separated thereby, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. Thisarrangement permits control from opposite sides of the battery of the flow through the regenerators, thereby assisting the novel flue arrangement in promoting \unifor1nity of distribution.

Each regenerator 18 is a chamber containing open brickwork, commonly called checker-work and indicated at 20, with'a" distributing sole channel 2l underneath auch checkerwork, the channels forming the soles of such chambers and opening up into the checkerwork. In accordance with. the invention, a heavy vertical gas-tight supporting wall 22 extends directly beneath cach coking chamber 12 Iin parallelism between the side faces of alterna-te pillar Walls 13, and such supporting walls 22 form the divisions between the groups of regenerators which are respectively companioned to the heatin, 'r Walls. For convenience, the inflow groups of regenerators of one reversal period are designated by thc reference character K and the outflow groups of regenerlators by the reference character-L, the insures to be maintained in the cheekerworkA chambers on the opposite sides of such Walls, or the flow of different media in the checker- Work chambers separated by these walls, Without leakages from one checkerwork chamber intoanother or Without danger of mixing the gases ,in the checkerwork chambers, which must be kept separate in this region of the battery.

. The regenerators of each group, K and L, are heated, in alternation, by the het combustion products that 'draw off' from the flame or combustion flues hereinbefore mentioned, and then impart such heat to the medium which they feed into these flame flues; in the present instance, the flow through the groups K., L, located on opposite sides of a supporting'wall 22, is maintained concurrent-ly in opposite directions; for example, when the flow is passing'up through the regenerators of the group K, downflow is being maintained concurrently through the regenerators of the group L. Each group K, L, of such regerierators comprises a central regenerator P, as viewed in Fig. 2,- and -two side r'egenerators A, theA central regenerator'P, when operating for inflow, during producer gas operation, servingto convey producer or other extraneously derived fuel gas to the flame fluesofl both -series G andH, and the side regenerators A,"

respectively serving, on inflow, to.- direct air to the flues of the series Gr and H of the adjacent heat-ing wall. -The yregenerators A i of each group -areprovided with a series of ducts, 23, which lead respectively toy individual flame flues 17 of both series G and H of the same heating Wall; each regenerator l is provided with two series of ducts, 2l and 25, one series 24 leading into the flame filles of the series G and the other series of ducts 25 1cading into the flame flues of the series H of the same heating Wall. lVith this construct-ion, each flame flue 17 communicates by a pair of duets 23 and 24 or 23 and 25 with adjacent separate regenerators A, P, or P, A, and the flow through the several regenerators of a group K or L is maintained concurrently in the` same direction, that is to say all three regenerators of a group are either operating for inflow or for outflow.

In the present embodiment o-f the invention, both series of flame flues G, H, of each A.heating wall 11 are either burning or operating for downflow to convey combustion products'to the communicably connected regenerators beneath, and consequently the regenerators aligned on opposite sides of the central' longitudinal partition 19 opera-te concurrently for flow in the same direction and in the same manner. The reversal in flow through the flame flues 17 on opposite sides of the coking chamber, and their communicably connected regenerators, may thus be said to take place longitudinally of the oven battery, instead of transversely thereof as' has heretofore been a common practice in this art. The reversal of the oven is effected at the end of an operating period determined by practice, and by mea-ns of any preferred type of reversing mechanism. The function of suchreversal is as follows: The regenerators that, prior to the reversal, operated asvinflow regenerators become outflow regenerators, and the out-flow operating regenerators become inflow operating regcnerators; the two upburning series of flues switch function with the two downburning series of flues'of the next adjacent heating wall,4 and the supply-of gas is turned off from the previously upburning flues and turned on into the mains of the previously downburning flues. f

Each flame flue 17 of both series ofy each heating wall has at its top a port or opening 26 for draft and the passage of combustion products or waste gasfrom the flame within the flue. The ports .24 of the respective series G and H of each heating wall open into horizontal or bus flues 27 and 28, companion to said series G and H, and connecting all of the vertical flues that communicate with such horizontal flues 27 and 28 by means of the ports 26. According to the invention, th e are in each heating wall, and for each se ies of flues, a plurality of, in the present instance two of, such horizontal flues 27 or 28, positioned end to end with respect to each other, and, respectively located 0n oppositie sides of the central dividing line L. lBy reason of the fact that there is a plurality of such horizontal flues 27, 28, these flues are not required to be of so great capacity as that necessary in present practice, and consequently the cross-sectional area of each horizontal flue 25 may be reduced, with the result that the .thickness and strength of the heating walls are substantially` increased in the region of the horizontal flues., Moreover, because of the fact that each horizontal flue communicates with a substantially reduced number of vertical flues, in the present instance half of the flues of each series, uniformity in distribution of flow through the vertical flues and the communicating regenerators is greatly promoted.

As .shown in Fig. 3, each horizontal flue, 27 or 28, tapers from'I its middle toward its opposite ends in such manner that the smallest cross-sectional areas are located at nel thus formed serves to distribute the flow equally through the several vertical ,flues 17 with which such channel communicates. As shown, the two pairs of horizontal flues 27, 23, of each heating wall are communicably connected 'by means of passageways 29, respectively, with the pairs of corresponding horizontal flues 27, 28, of one of the next adjacent heating walls. 'lhese passageways or channels 29 are preferably lined at top and bottom, as shown in Fig. 2, with insulating material, such as Sil-o-cel or asbestos insulation, and preferably open up into substantially the middle portions of their respective connected pairs of' flues 27, 28, as shown in Fig. 3, and extend longitudinally of the oven battery as shown in Fig. 2. 'lhus the entire flow from both series G and ll of llues of the heating wall, within the flues of which combustion is being maintained, passes into and downwardly through both series of flues of the next adjacent heating walls, and each reversal operation is accompanied by a -iieversal in direction in flow of all of the flues of each heating wall. rThe draft through the ports 26 may be regulated by means of the usual movable dampers or sliding bricks 30 positioned in the ordinary way in the bottoms of the horizontal flues 27, 23, and adapted to be reached by the access flues 31 which extend from the top of the horizontal flues 27, 28, in each heating wall, to the top 15 of the oven battery, there being an access flue positioned over each ame or combustion flue of each heating wall. f

Extending crosswise of the battery in each pillar wall 13, and located beneath the series of flues G or l-l thereabove, is a pair of gas supplychannels 32 and 33. 'llhese channels 32 and 33 are for the purpose of supplying coke oven gas to the several flame lflues of series on each side ofthe central line L, and,

Levaeoa to accomplish this end, the two pairs of channels 32, 33, that are companioned to each heatingv wall, respectively, to communicate with the individual flues 17 by means of? ducts 34 that lead from such channels 'indi-` vidually into the bottoms of the individual flues, as shown in Fig 3. Within the several to both pairs of channels 32 and 33, with respect to each heating wall, it being understood that the supply is concurrently turned on in each. pair of such channels or concurrently cut off from each pair of such channels. its oppos1te extremities.,y The tapering chan- For operating the battery alternatively with the use of a special generator gas, such as producer gas as a fuel, the several regenerators P, when operated for inflow, may be optionally connected with a producer gas main by a mechanism such as is disclosed in Amy (2o-pending application4 for patent for a coking retort'oven, filed April 23, 1920, Serial Number 376,126, Patent N o. 1,416,322, dated May 16, 1922, so that the producer gas may be directed into such of the regenerators l? as are operating for inflow,'and conveyed through 'these' regenerators into burning flame flues of both series G and H.

The operation of the retort oven or battery when using a special'gener'ator gas, such as ordinary producer gas as a fuel, is as follows: The supply of coke oven gas to the coke oven gas main, and to all ofythe coke oven gas channels 32, 33, is cut off] A supply of producer gas is permitted to flow into the regenerator P of alternate groups, such as K, and passing through said regenerator is preheated before being delivered into the burning flame flues of both series G and H of alternate heating walls. During the inflow of producer gas through such regenerators of alternate groups K, waste gas from the downburning flues is flowing out through all of the r'egenerators of the groups L. ln the regenerators A of the inflow operating groups llli, inflow of air is maintained, which passing upwardly through such regenerators finally enters the burning flame flues of both series G and H, to support the combustion of the producer gas that is delivered thereto by the inflow operating regenerators P. @n reversal of A gas as fuel, the suppl of producer gas to the regenerators, P or alternate groups is shut off and air is permitted to How into such .regenerators in place of the producer gas. During coke oven gas operation a supply of coke oven gas is maintained in both pairs of channels 32 and 33 which feed theL upburning fines. The reversing mechanism is operated at each reversal to place all of the inflow operating air regenerators in communication with the outer air, and concurrently all ofthe outflow operating regenerators in communication with the exhaust.

The invention disclosed in this application is a continuation in part of my prior application for Letters Patent in the United States for coking retort oven filed November 8, 1920, Serial 422,422, patent No. 1,374,- 546, issued April 12, 1921.

'The invention as hereinabove set forth is embodied in a particular form of construction, but may be variously embodied within the scope of the 'claims hereinafter made.

I claim: i

1. In a coking retort oven, in combination: a plurality of coking chambers; heating walls contiguous to such coking chambers and respectively constituted of two parallel f series ofkvertical combustion flues; tapered horizontal iues in each heating wall and respectively connecting a plurality of the combustion lilies .of each series of their respective heating walls; the horizontal flues ot both series of each heating wall being also eommunicably connected with the corresponding horizontal lues of an adjacent heating wall; individually regulable and individually reversible and crosswise-eXtend-- l ing regenerators parallel lengthwise with and thel other regenerator of each group bethe coking chamber and the heating walls, such regenerators being divided into groups of three regenerator's each, two regenerators of each group being respectively communicably connected one with the iues of one series and the other with the ues of the other series of an adjacent heatingv wall,

ing connected with both Hue-series of the adjacnt heating wall; substantially as speciiiet 2. In a coking retort oven, in combination: a plurality of coking chambers; heating walls continguous to such coking chambers and respectively constituted of two parallel series of vertical combustion Ilues; horizontal fines in each heating wall and respectively connecting a plurality of the combustion flues of each series ot their respective heating walls; the horizont-al i'lues of both series of each heating wall being also communicably connected with the corresponding horizontal lues of an adjacent heating wall; individually regulable and individually reversible and crosswise-extending regenerators parallel lengthwise with thecoking chamberand the heating walls, sueh-regenerators being divided into groups of three ,regenerators each, two regenerators of each group being respectively communicably connectedl one with the flues of one series and the other with the flues of the other series of an adjacent heating wall, and the other regenerator of each group being connected with both flue-series of the adjacent heating wall; substantially as specilie 3, In a coking retort oven, in combination: a plurality of coking chambers;` heating walls contiguous to such coking chambers and respectively constituted of two series of vertical combustion tlues, a plurality of horizontal collecting lues in each heating wall and respectively connecting a plurality a heating wall being communicably connected with the combustion flues of both series of an adjacent heating Wall; and crosswise-extending regenerators parallel lengthwise with the coking chamber and the heating wall, said regenerators communicating. withsuch combustion fines; substantially as specified. A

.5. In a coking retort oven, in combination: a plurality of coking chambers; heating walls contiguous to such coking chambers and respectively constituted of two parallel series of vertical combustion flues, communicably connected with both series .of vertical combustion fluesof an adjacent heating wall; and groups ofregenerators, the groups being respectively communicably connected with both series of such combustion lues of each heating wall; substantially as specified.

6. In a coking retort oven, in combination:

a plurality of coking chambers; heating walls contiguous to such coking chambers heating walls and reversible regenerators serving said flued walls and disposed in groups adapted respectively to serye alternately for inflow preheating of fuel4 gas and air simultaneously and for concurrent wastegas outflow, and the regenerators for inflow of fuel gas being separated from all the regenerators for concurrent outflow of wastegas by intervening regerenators for inflow of air, and having the heating walls operatively disposed inpairs, the two heating walls on the opposite sides of an intervening coking chamber constituting a separately functioning unit for the reversible regenerative flow of the heating gases, the said two opposite walls being mutually interconnected with each other by duct means ext-ending from wall to wall, so that all the gases produced by the combustion in the heating wall on one side of said chamber are drawn off through only the heating wall on the other side of the same chamber.

c 8. In a coking retort oven battery, in combination: combustion chambers and communicably connected therewith a series of regenerators that is disposed longitudinally of the battery in groups respectively adapted to serve for inflow and outflow, the inflow groups comprising regenerators for fuel gas and regenerators for air on tvv/o opposite sidesof said fuel gas regenerators, the regenerators for air being arranged next to the outflow regenerators and interposed between fuel gas regenerators and waste heat regenerators, whereby counterflow between fuel gas and waste heat in regenerators alongside each other is prevented.

9. Ina coking oven battery having acokeside and a pusher-side, in combination: a plurality of coking chambers'extending from coke-side to pusher-side; heating walls cong tiguous to such coking chambers, each heating wall being constituted of coke-side and pusher-side series of combustion flues communicably connected with corresponding series of combustion flues inv an adjacent heating wall;l and coke-side and pusher-side regenerators respectively individual to and communicably connected with said series of suclrcombustion flues of each heatmg wall,

vwhereby the control of the flow on the pusher-side may be effected separately from the control on the coke-side ofthe coking oven and said coke-side and said pusherside regenerators being disposed in groups adapted respectively to serve alternately for inflow preheating of fuel gasand air simultaneously and for concurrent waste-gas outflow, -andithe regenerators for inflow of fuel gas being separated from all the regenerators for concurrent outflow of waste-gas by intervening regenerators for inflow of air.

1'0. In combination with a coking chamber, flued heating walls respectively constituting-the opposite side walls of said coking chamber, the flues of the heating walls being disposed in groups communicably connected with each other by duct means extending across the coking chamber, reversible means for maintaining combustion in alternation in said heating walls, the exhaust gases produced by the combustion in the groups of flues in one heating wall being drawn off through corresponding groups of flues in the other heating wall, and reversible regenerators respectively connected with said -heating walls and disposed in groups adapted respectively to serve alternately for inflow preheating of fuel gas and air simultaneously and for concurrent waste-gas outflow, and the regenerators for inflow of fuel gas being separated from all the regenerators for concurrent outflow of waste-gas by interven- .infr regenerators for inflow of air' substantially as specified.

11. A coking retort oven 'battery of the cross regenerative type with ducts extending across the retorts and connecting the combustion flues of parallel heating walls, each heatiiig Wall having two parallel series of vertical combustion flues in both of which thekflow of the gases is simultaneously in the same direction, and which communicate with the similar series of flues in another heating wall by means of the cross-over ducts.

12. A coking, retort oven as claimed in claim 11 having each flued heating wall connected to a group of three regenerators arranged side by side whereof the two outer regenerators communicate each with onel of sie the flue series while the middle regenerator communicates with\both flue series.

13. A coking retort oven having coking chambers with flued heating walls connected by ducts extending across suchcoking .chambers and having theflued heating walls constituted of series of flues and,l connected to groups of regenerators, each regenerator group having three regenerators arranged alongside each other whereof thetwo outer regenerators communicate each with one flue series only while themiddleregenerator communicates with two flue series, and the middle regenerator only of each groupl having connection with a source of fuel 'gas supply.

14. A coking retort oven battery as claimed in claim 11 in which the combustion flues of one series lie in a row adjacent the retort at one side of the heating wall and the flues of the other series lie in a row ad- 'acent the retort at the other side of the eatin wall.

15. n combination with'a coking chamber, flued heatingvalls respectively constitutin the opposite side walls of said coking cham er, the flues in the heating walls being disposed in groups, the groups of flues of said heating walls being communicably connected with each other by duct means extending over the top of the coking chamber,

reversible means for maintaining combustion in alternation in said heating walls, the exhaust gases produced by the combustion in one heating wall being drawn off through the other, and reversible regenerators respectively connected with said heating walls and disposed in groups adapted respectively to serve alternately for inflow preheating of fuel gas and air simultaneouslyand for concurrent waste-gas outflow, and the regenerators for inflow of fuel gas being separated from all the regenerators for concurrent outflow of waste-gas by interveningregenera- 1tiers for inflow of air, substantially-as specied. 16. In a coking retort oven, in combination: a pluralit of vparallel coking chambers; flued heating Walls therefor andparallel therewith; duct means communicably connecting a plurality of such flued heating walls that are in different planes and that are adapted to operate as. inflow heating walls with a. plurality of such heating walls that are in different planes `and that are adapted to operate concurrently as outflow heating walls; and individually regulable regenerators arranged below and parallel with said heating walls and coking chambers and communlcably connected with their respective flued heating walls and disposed in groups adapted to servealternately for inflow of combustion media and outflow of waste gas, each group comprising at least three regenerators. 4

17. Apparatus as claimed in claim 16, in which there is a series of such duct means.

18. In a coking retort oven, in combination: parallel coking chambers; a plurality of series of vertical heating flues; each series of flues being parallel to said coking chambers and to each other; duct means com-. municably connecting a plurality of parallel series of heating flues that are adapted to operate for inflow with a plurality of parallel series of heating llues that are adapted to, operate concurrently for outflow; individually regulable regenerators arranged below and parallel with said coking chambers and said series of heating flues and communicably connected with their respective series ofv heating flues. f

19. Apparatus as claimed in claim 18 in which there is a. series of such duct means.

20. In a coking retort oven battery, in combination: combustion chambers and communieably connected therewith a series o-f regenerators arranged alongside each other and disposed in groups adapted respectively to serve alternately for inflow preheating of fuel gas and air simultaneously and for concurrent waste-gas outflow, and the regenerators for inflo-w of fuel gas being separated from all the regenerators-for concurrent outflow `of waste-gas by intervening regenerators for inflw 0f air on opposite sides of the fuel gas regenerators.

21. In a coking retort oven battery, ineombination: a series of side-by-side cokingchambers with intermediate heating-walls that'extend transversely ofthe battery and series and ,contain heating-fines; and a lseries of side-by-side regenerators that extend transversely of the battery andl series and are communicably connected with the flues of said heating-walls, the series of regenerators being disposed in side-by-side groups adapted to serve in alternation for inflow preheating of fuel gas and air simultaneously and for concurrrent waste-gas outflow. the inflow groups alternating in position-with the concurrent outflow groups and including ain inflow regenerators that are interposed between the fuel-gas inflow regenerators andthe concurrently adjacent outflow groups of regenerators.

22. VIn a coking retort oven batteryin combination: a series of side-by-side cokingchambers with intermediate heating-walls that extend transversely of the battery and series and contain heating-flues; and a series of sid -by-side regenerators that extend transverse y of the battery and series and are communicably connected with the flues of said heating-walls, the series of regenerators being disposed in side-by-side groups adapted to serve in alternation for inflow lill preheating of fuel gas and air simultaney ously and for concurrent waste-gas outflow, said groups comprising regenerative units of at least three regenerators, the outer lateral regenerators of each of' said Iiunits being adapted for air inflow and at least one intermediate regenerator of each of said units being` adapted for fuel gas inflow.

In a coking retort oven battery,`th e combination claimed in claim' 22 and in which. the groups of regenerators, 'comprising regenerative units of at least three regenerators, are so disposed that a fuel-gas'regenerator of each of said units is communicably lll) connected with two sets of heating-fines and i its outer lateral air regenerators are each communicably connected with one of said sets of heating-flues.

24. In a coking retort oven battery, in combination: a series of side-by-side coking chambers with intermediate heatingwalls that extend transversely of the battery and series and contain series of heating-flues, the heating-flue series being parallel with each other and with the sides of the colring-chambers; duct means communicably connecting, for concurrently reverse flow, a plurality of parallel series of heating-fines on one side of a coking c amber with a plurality of parallel series of heating-flues on the other side of said cokingchamber; and a series of side-by-side regenerators that extend transversely of the battery and series and are communicably 4connected with the series of heating-fines, the series of regeneratorsbeing disposed in sideby-side groups adapted to serve in alternation for preheating the inflow to and receiving the outiow from the pluralitiesot1 heatinfr-flue series that concurrently have reverse flow on the one and the other side of a coking chamber, each group comprising atv least three regenerators.

25. In a coking. retort oven battery, in combination: a series of side-by-side cokingchambers with intermediate heating-walls that extend transversely of the battery and series and contain heating-fines; and a series'of side-by-side regenerators that extend transversely of the battery and series and. are communicably connected with the flues of vsaid heating-walls, the series of regenerators being disposed in side-by-side groups adapted to serve in alternation for infiow preheating of fuel gas and air simultaneously and for concurrent waste-gas outflow, said Agroups comprising regenerative units of three regenerators, the outer lateral regenerators "of each of said units being adaptouter lateral air regenerators are each coml battery, the

municably connected with one of said sets of heating-filles.

27. In a cokng retort oven, battery,.in combination: a series of side-by-side coking-chambers with intermediate Jheatingwalls that extend transversely of the battery and series and contain heating-fines; and a series of side-by-side regenerators that extend transversely of the battery and' series and are communicably connected with the fiues of said heating-walls, said series of regenerators being disposed in side-by-side groups adapted to serve in alternation for inflow preheating of fuel gas and air simultaneously and for concurrent waste-gas outflow, said groups comprising regenerative units of atleast three contiguous regener-I ators, the outerlateral regenerators of `each of said units being adapted for inflow of one of said .combustion media rnd at least one intermediate. regenerator of each of said units being adapted for inflow of the other of said combustion media; fuel-gas regenerators being substantially more isolated from all adjacent waste-gas regenerators than from adjacent air-regenerators.

28. In a coking retort oven battery, the

combination claimed .in claim 27 and in which the regenerative units are of three regenerators comprising one lateral. regenerator thatcommunicates with certain heating-flues and one lateral regenerator that communicates with certain other heating fines and an intermediate larger regenerator that communicates with the (heating-fines thei lateral ,regenerators served` by both of JOSEPH BECKER. 

